Pups Go Spelunking
by Griffin Stone
Summary: When Wisp expresses feelings of uselessness, Ryder comes up with a plan to make her feel needed. However, when the plan goes awry, Wisp might really be Paw Patrol's only hope. Part 2 of the Wisp Saga. -Wisp bio is now on author profile-
1. Needing to be Needed

**Let's see how far the Wisp Saga can go! ;)**

 **The first Wisp story kept pretty close to the canon "peril points," but future stories will have a bit more peril. Someone might even bleed. -gasp- Anyway, this story is divided into chapters, posted sporadically as they are typed.**

 **Also, Wisp's colors have changed. I looked up spelunking colors. The only thing I could find was the sign, which is a sort of muted orange-brown. So her main color is orange-brown, with blue highlights.**

* * *

It had been a month since Wisp had met the Paw Patrol. She had decided that it had been the happiest time of her life.

Chase and Marshall had taken her on a tour of the town, introducing her to everyone. Skye had taken her on flight in her helicopter to some of the mountains around Adventure Bay. Zuma and Rubble had invited her every day to play on the beach with them since Marshall had decided that her sprained paw had healed enough for her to be on it. She had helped Rocky recycled seeming junk into useful objects used around the Lookout and Adventure Bay.

Ryder had even given her a Pup Pack! It was an old prototype of Chase's, with a spotlight, small winch, and a launcher with no ammo.

Wisp had never felt so at home, or so loved. But how long would it last, she worried. Pretty soon, they would lose interest and Wisp would be back on her own.

It was illogical, of course, but Wisp had been rejected and ignored too many times to think otherwise.

She decided to leave before any of that could happen.

* * *

It was early morning when Wisp awoke with a sharp yip. Her head shot up, and she looked quickly around the Lookout main room where she slept.

"Just a dream," she whispered to herself. She shuddered. "More like a nightmare."

Wisp had dreamt of running alongside the Paw Patrol. Suddenly, she found herself alone in a dark place. No matter how much she had called, no one had answered, until an enormous crash in the dream had startled her awake.

It was a dream she had fairly often, whenever she had found a new home. This time, the dream was accompanied by a sense of foreboding and sadness.

" _It's time to go,"_ Wisp thought. " _The sooner I go, the less painful it will be."_

Wisp stood up from the bed Ryder had bought her. She gathered and put on her lucky bandana and Pup Pack, and stepped out of the cave-like den Rocky had built for her in the corner.

She crept out of the Lookout, determined not to look back. She couldn't help herself, though and turned back at the edge of the hill to gaze sadly at the Paw Patrol snoozing happily in their puphouses, oblivious to their newest friend's leaving.

"Bye," she whispered. She started walking away, but was stopped by a sleepy voice.

"Wisp? What are you doing up so early?"

Wisp turned to see Chase standing outside his puphouse. He blinked a couple times and shook his head, waking himself up. He cocked his head at Wisp's expression.

"What's wrong?" Chase asked, trotting up to Wisp.

"I'm leaving."

"You're going back to your home in the tunnels? Okay, but why so early? Everyone will want to see you off," Chase said, keeping his voice low to not wake up the other pups. Then his face lit up and he started excitedly, "Or, you could just-"

"I'm not going to the tunnels. Not here at least," Wisp interrupted.

Chase cocked his head. "Where are you going, then?"

Wisp shrugged.

"Oh-kaaay." Chase frowned. "I don't get it."

"I'm leaving Adventure Bay."

Chase stared. "What? Are you going to visit Tracker or Everest? For how long?"

Wisp groaned and shook her head. "No, I am not going to visit anyone. I'm leaving Adventure Bay forever."

"What?!"

Wisp grimaced and tried to shush Chase, but the damage was done. Skye, Zuma, Rubble and Rocky lifted their heads. Marshall -not quite awake yet- walked out of his puphouse, in a full circle, then straight into the puphouse wall.

"I'm awake!" Marshall exclaimed, fully waking up the other pups.

When all the pups saw Wisp and Chase standing away from the Lookout, and Wisp wearing her Pack, they sensed something was wrong and ran over to them.

"What's up, pups?" Marshall asked.

"Wisp says she's leaving!" Chase exclaimed.

The other pups yelped in surprise.

"Leaving?!" Zuma cried.

"Did something happen?" asked Rocky.

"Where are you going?" from Skye.

"You can't leave now. You promised to help Zuma and I finish our sand castle," Rubble protested.

Chase turned to Wisp and summed up all of the pups thoughts in one word, "Why?"

Wisp dropped her head. "It's better this way, trust me."

"What's wrong, Wisp? We're your friends, you can trust us," Marshall put in.

"For how long? I'm useless," Wisp muttered.

"What? No!" Chase emphatically shook his head. "You saved me from the sewers."

"You were the one with the idea to put 'chicken baskets' under the drain holes," Rocky said.

"You build the best sand castles!" Apparently, Rubble had only one thing on his mind so early in the morning.

Wisp shook her head. "You don't understand-"

"No," Chase interrupted. "You are a valuable friend to the Paw Patrol, and you will always have a home here."

Wisp sighed, but made no more argument. She let herself be herded back to a bean bag by the Paw Patrol and reluctantly laid down. Chase plopped down at her side. The other pups gathered bean bags and curled up around Wisp, both to keep her company and to prevent her from trying to sneak off again.

Without speaking, the Paw Patrol knew right then they were going to have to find a way to convince Wisp to stay, before she really did disappear forever.

* * *

Ryder was startled the next morning when he found all the pups had formed a big pup pile in the middle of the floor.

"Pups?" Ryder asked. He gently shook Chase until the German Shepard lifted his head. "Why is everyone in here?"

Chase glanced at the other pups, who were starting to wake up at the sound of Ryder talking. "I'll explain, but not right now."

"Okay?" Ryder stepped back, wondering what Chase was trying to keep a secret.

It wasn't until later that morning, when Zuma and Rubble had dragged Wisp to the beach to work on the promised sand castle, that he got an explanation.

"Wisp thinks she isn't wanted? But that's ridiculous!" Ryder said.

"I know that, and you know that, but Wisp doesn't," Marshall said.

"She really seemed to think we were just going to kick her out if she isn't useful," Chase said.

Ryder thought for a moment. "I have a plan. It will only fix the problem for a little bit, but let's give her a reason to feel useful."

The pups cocked their heads. After Rider had explained, they all howled their agreement. Skye and Rocky dashed outside, while Chase, Marshall, and Ryder waited for them to get into position.


	2. Ryder's Plan

**A/N: I forgot to include in "Pups Save a Wisp" that Wisp has a bandana, the same color orange-brown color as her outfit will be. It plays a part in this story and its importance to her will be explained with her backstory. The first chapter was updated to include the bandana.**

 **I am working on a bio for Wisp, which will be added at the end of this story.**

 **I didn't realize when I first made this chapter how many pups actually have lights on their Packs. So, Wisp's exasperation with their lack of lights doesn't really work now.**

* * *

Despite her feelings earlier that morning, Wisp thoroughly enjoyed playing with Rubble and Zuma. They were so friendly and easy-going -everyone was- that sometimes Wisp wondered if she was worrying too much.

Wisp and Rubble were just putting the finishing touches to one of the castle towers when Rubble and Zuma's collars beeped.

"Ryder needs us!" the two pups exclaimed.

Rubble jumped to the ground and started for the Lookout. Zuma ran up from where he had been wading in the shallows to the base of the tower.

"Come on, Wisp!" Zuma called before running after Rubble with an excited howl.

Wisp grinned as she leaped to follow the others. It was fun watching the Paw Patrol prepare for a mission. Plus, sometimes one of the pups would let her come along to see the mission. Maybe this would be one of those times!

When the pups reached the Lookout, they lined up in the elevator. Wisp craned her head around Zuma. It was only the three of them in the elevator.

"Where's the others?" she asked.

Zuma shrugged. "Waiting at the top?"

The elevator doors closed and the trio was whisked to the top of the tower. Zuma and Rubble, now in full uniform, leaped to their spots and waited for Chase to say "Paw Patrol ready for action, Ryder, sir!"

Except he didn't.

After a moment of silence, Zuma and Rubble looked around, just realizing what Wisp had been trying to understand.

Chase was the only other pup sitting in his spot, and his mind seemed to be elsewhere. His brows were creased and he was frowning into space. Marshall was pacing. Both pups were in uniform.

Ryder had his back to the pups, staring at the screen that hung from the ceiling. On the screen was Skye, surrounded by rocks and darkness. The only light came from over the camera view, but it was pretty dim.

"Skye?" Rubble asked.

Ryder finally turned, his expression mirroring Chase's. "And Rocky."

"Whewe awe they?" Zuma asked.

"A cave," Wisp answered, studying the rocks around Skye.

"Yes. Skye and Rocky went exploring in the mountains this morning, but they got lost," Ryder said.

Skye nodded. "We found a little crevasse that we had never seen before and wanted to see how far it went, but now we don't know the way out. My light's gone out, and Rocky's nearly is, too."

Wisp cocked her head. She would have thought that Skye and Rocky knew to _always_ mark your path went exploring tunnels.

"And now they need our help!" Ryder said. "Marshall?"

Marshall whined and went to his spot, head drooping low.

"I'll need… Chase! We'll need your spotlight to navigate the tunnels."

"Chase is on the case!"

"Rubble, I'll need your shovel, in case there are any blockages in the way.

"Rubble on the double!"

"Marshall, we'll need your EMT equipment, in case someone gets hurt."

Marshall drooped to the floor. "Ruff, ruff rescue…"

Wisp eyed the sprawled pup. "Uh, Marshall? You okay?"

Marshall gave a giant sigh. "Yeah."

"Er…" Ryder ran between Marshall and Wisp. "Wisp, you and Zuma are going to help us search. You can use your new Pup Pack."

"Let's dive in! Uh… sowta?"

Wisp giggled. "I bark at the dark!"

Marshall smiled up at her. "Good one!"

"All right! Paw Patrol is on a roll!"

Ryder jumped and slid down the pole to the garage. The Paw Patrol yapped and howled as they slid down to their vehicles, with Wisp doubling up with Chase.

Ryder led the way out of town as Paw Patrol raced to save their friends.

* * *

The Paw Patrol soon reached their destination and leaped out of their vehicles.

Chase ran to the cave entrance and barked out his microphone. He took a deep breath to call out to his friends, when Wisp tackled him. He sprawled on his stomach, with Wisp on his back.

"No loud noises in caves, Chase!" Wisp ordered. "You could make a roof or wall collapse!"

Chase whimpered, thinking of what he had nearly done.

"Don't you pups know anything about tunnel exploration?" Wisp said, looking around. "Always mark your path. Never take a new path without telling anyone. Always bring spare lights, food, and water. And never, EVER yell." Wisp realized everyone was staring at her. She climbed off Chase, flattening her ears in embarrassment. "Sorry."

"No, that was… good," Ryder said. "Would you like to lead the search?"

Wisp straightened. "Really?"

"Sure! You seem to have a really good idea on what to do," Ryder said.

"Okay." Wisp thought for a moment. "Everyone, start gathering sticks. Did anyone bring extra lights?"

Ryder and the pups looked at each other and shrugged sheepishly.

Wisp sighed. "We'll make do with Ryder's flashlight and the lights in our Pup Packs. And, Marshall?"

The dalmation, who had laid down halfway through Wisp's speech to stare gloomily into space, lifted his head.

"Maybe you should stay here. You don't look good."

Marshall leaped up. "Nope! I'm good. Just… worried."

"Okay… but don't get left behind when we go. It'll be hard enough finding Skye and Rocky. And Ryder, better tell them not to be wandering around, especially if Rocky's light goes out. No matter what, they need to stay put."

"I'll tell them."

"Alright, start gathering sticks. We'll need them to mark our path."

* * *

Chase and Marshall teamed up for stick-gathering. Once they were out of ear-shot of the others, Chase stopped and turned to Marshall.

"You need to work on your acting," Chase said. "You're acting sick, not scared. If Wisp catches on that we're only pretending Skye and Rocky are lost and we need her help, she might leave for good because we tricked her."

Marshall shrugged. "Sorry. I'm trying."

Chase nudged Marshall. "It's alright. Just don't try so hard."

"Don't twy what so hawd?" Zuma asked as he and Rubble came around a bush.

Chase jumped. "Uh, er… nothing! It's just… is Wisp around?

"She's still with Ryder at the entrance, trying to get Skye and Rocky to remember landmarks or other ways to help us find them," Rubble explained. "Why?"

"Well… Skye and Rocky aren't really lost."

"I knew it!" Zuma exclaimed, then quickly lowered his voice to add, "We know evewy twist and tuwn of those caves."

"So, why did they say they are?" Rubble asked.

"Wisp wants to feel useful, right? Well, she did such a good job in the sewers, that we decided to sort of re-enact it with Skye and Rocky. After she helps us find them, she will feel needed and stay," Chase explained.

"Isn't that sorta wrong?" Rubble asked. "Tricking Wisp like that?"

"She won't find out," Chase said quickly, hiding the fact that he had had the same thoughts. "We'll let her 'find' Skye and Rocky, and that will convince her that we need her here."

"Okay…"

"Now, come on. Let's get some sticks.


	3. The Plan Falls Apart

Once all the pups had a mouthful of sticks, they carried them to the cave entrance and gave them to Ryder.

"Okay, everyone, stick together," Wisp said, then barked out her spotlight. "Marshall, you good?"

Marshall chuckled awkwardly. "Never better."

Chase rolled his eyes, but hid the action by barking out his spotlight as well. The other lights were going to be used only in reserve, with Zuma carrying tje flashlight since Ryder's arms were full.

"Keep your voices low, and watch for any unstable walls or roofs," Wisp went on.

"We've never had to-" Rubble started.

Chase clapped a paw over Rubble's mouth and finished, "Go far! In the tunnels, I mean. We'll do what you say."

Zuma snickered and mumbled through the flashlight, "Smooth."

Wisp narrowed her eyes. "Good. Follow me."

* * *

Since the Paw Patrol knew every inch of the cave tunnels and exactly where Skye and Rocky were "lost," they soon grew impatient of Wisp's cautious advance. They did their best to hide this, but it wasn't easy.

"Is this really necessary?" Chase asked in an exaggerated whisper after a half hour of very slow walking.

Wisp turned from inspecting a split in the wall. "Of course it is! I wouldn't be tricking you when it comes to something as serious as two of our friends being trapped in the cave."

Chase's eyes widened. Was it his imagination, or did Wisp sound down-right mischievous when she said that? Did she know about the plan?

But, Wisp started walking again, and Chase breathed a sigh of relief. No, she would have said something if she was suspicious.

Finally, after taking an hour to reach a point the pups normally did in ten minutes, Wisp pointed to a wide split in the wall. Just inside was a pink bow.

"It's Skye's!" Chase said, remembering just in time to keep his voice down.

"This is the path they took," Wisp confirmed. She pointed to where some dust had settled on the stone. "There is their pawprints. It looks like more than the two of them, though."

"Uh," Chase scrambled for an answer.

"They must have been checking out the new tunnel," Zuma said.

Wisp had her back to the others, so she didn't notice the raised eyebrow Zuma gave Chase, or the glare he got back.

"Probably," Wisp said. "Let's hurry. Skye said they took the widest tunnels, so it should be fairly easy to find them. Ryder, use three sticks and make an arrow pointing the way out."

Ryder did as Wisp said, saying as he did, "Oh, smart idea. Now we won't have the same problem when we are leaving."

Wisp nodded. "Yep. Have you checked on Skye and Rocky recently?"

"Just getting ready to!"

Ryder pulled out his Pup Pad and called Rocky. The screen turned black.

"Huh? Rocky? Skye?" Ryder asked, alerting the pups something was wrong.

"We're here," came Skye's voice, making everyone sigh in relief. "Rocky's light went out."

"We're coming to get you," Wisp said. "Whatever you do, don't move. Even if you see our lights, stay put and call us."

Wisp and the rest of the pups started down the tunnel. Ryder turned away and whispered into his Pup Pad. "Skye, both of your lights going out wasn't part of the plan."

"We didn't realize how long we would have to be here, and didn't bring extra batteries," said Rocky.

"Please hurry, Ryder," Skye was starting to sound genuinely scared now.

"Don't worry. We'll be there soon," Ryder said as he kept walking.

"Don't sign off, Ryder," Rocky said. "My collar is making a little bit of light when you're there."

"Wasn't going to," Ryder said.

* * *

As if she could sense the new urgency, Wisp moved the group on faster. She barely glanced at the walls or ceiling, focusing on the ground underpaw. She no longer made the pups walk single file.

Finally, Skye gave a joyful yelp. "I see a light!"

"Stay put!" Wisp reminded her, picking up speed.

Wisp jumped around a corner and saw, illuminated by her spotlight, Skye and Rocky huddled together. Both pups leaped up and panted as the rest of Paw Patrol came into view. Everyone ran together and fell into a giant hug.

"Oh, Ryder, I was so scared!" Skye whined.

Chase was startled by how scared Skye sounded and acted. She was even shivering! He leaned against her comfortingly. Skye sighed and calmed down a bit.

"I am never coming here, again!" Rocky said firmly.

"Cave exploration isn't that scary, not if you know what you are doing," Wisp said.

The pups looked at Wisp. She hadn't joined in the hug, instead watching with an amused expression.

"Besides, it's not like anyone was actually lost," Wisp said, breaking into a grin.

Ryder and the pups gaped at Wisp.

"You knew?" Chase asked.

"Yep."

"How? When?"

"I was suspicious from the start. I thought it was strange that Skye and Rocky would go exploring so unprepared. And, Marshall, I've seen you worry for real, and whatever you have been doing all afternoon isn't it."

Marshall ducked his head. "Oops."

"But it wasn't just Marshall, it was all of you. Zuma was confused when Ryder was explaining the mission, and Rubble kept almost giving away that everyone was familiar with the caves," Wisp said. "But, do you want to know what gave it away completely?"

"What?" everyone asked.

"Halfway here, I realized we were heading to the mountain that, two weeks ago, Chase said you explore all the time and that I would have to see it sometime."

Chase's eyes widened as everyone turned to him. After a moment of silence, everyone, even Wisp and Chase, burst out laughing.

"You got us good," Rubble said. "With all your checking the walls and lecturing us on cave safety."

Wisp sobered. "Oh, I was completely serious about all of that. Maybe I was a little heavy on making sure the tunnel was stable, but everything I told you is true. When Rocky's light went out, I realized that we needed to just hurry up and find them."

"You knew all along, but you didn't say anything," Ryder said. "How come?"

Wisp dropped her head and shuffled her paws. "Because you showed me how much you really care for me. You went through so much trouble to make me feel wanted, I realize now that it was silly to think you would get tired of me. I'm sorry."

The pups looked at each other and nodded. They leaped up and tackled Wisp in a pup pile. They all hugged and laughed, forgiving one another without a word.

Suddenly, Wisp tensed and rolled away from the others. She jumped to her paws, ears erect and stance stiff. "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Ryder asked.

"A rumbling sound."

"I think that's just my tummy reminding me it's lunchtime," Rubble said.

"No, shh!"

The pups fell silent, watching Wisp. Her ears twitched.

"We need to go," she whispered.

"What?" Chase asked.

"Now. Move!" Wisp yelped. She ran behind the Paw Patrol and started shoving them when no one moved.

Ryder dropped the sticks he had still been holding and took his flashlight from Zuma. He started herding Zuma, Skye, and Rubble back the way they had come.

"Skye's hat," Rocky said, running the opposite way.

"Wait!" Chase cried.

Wisp, who had started pushing Marshall after Ryder, whipped around. "Hush!" she hissed.

Chase's voice echoed eerily through the tunnel. As it died out, the pups now became aware of the rumbling Wisp had heard.

It wasn't Rubble's stomach.

The ground began to shake. Rocky, several yards from the rest of the pups, froze. Chase and Marshall jumped close together and stared at the ceiling in shock. Ryder and the pups with him started backing up as cracks began to spread between them and the others.

"The tunnel is ready to collapse," Wisp breathed. Then, realizing it was already too late to make anything worse, she howled, "Run!"

Ryder, Zuma, Skye, and Rubble all turned and dashed away. Chase, Marshall, and Wisp ran to follow, only to have the ground split in front of them. Wisp shoved the other two back.

"Back, back!" Wisp yelped, just as the roof caved in front of them.

They spun around. Rocky was still frozen, staring up. Wisp followed his gaze, and her breath caught. A massive crack was spreading rapidly above their heads.

"Get down!"

The ceiling collapsed.


	4. Finding a Way Out

**A/N: I do the Paw Patrol communications slightly different from the show. Mostly, when a pup is talking, they cannot be seen on a screen. (How do they do that?) But also, they say "Out" to sign off. (Example in next chapter.)**

* * *

For a long time, Wisp could only hear the rumble and crash of falling stone. She balled herself on the ground, hoping that the section of the tunnel she was in wouldn't cave. She couldn't hear any of the others, and wondered if they were alright.

Finally, the rumbling died down. Wisp cautiously lifted her head. In the glow of her spotlight, dust filled the air and made her cough.

"Wisp? Is that you?" came Chase's voice.

Chase stood from where he had huddled together with Marshall, uncovering Chase's spolight and adding more light to the space. Marshall didn't stand up right off, blinking rapidly in the dusty air.

"I'm here. Who else is?"

No one else responded. Wisp swept her light around, revealing the pups to be trapped in a five-foot space. The tunnel had collapsed on either side of them, one side having been inches from where Marshall had laid.

"Call the others!" Wisp said in a loud whisper. "We have to make sure they are alright!"

Chase nodded. "Ryder and Paw Patrol, come in. Is everyone okay?"

After a moment, Ryder's relieved voice filled the space. "Oh, Chase, I am so glad to hear you! We're fine here, we made it outside before the tunnel collapsed. Are you okay?"

At the sound of Ryder's voice, Marshall jumped up and panted.

Chase smiled and answered. "Yes, I'm fine. Marshall and Wisp are here, too, and we are all okay. Do you think you can get to us?"

Ryder didn't answer for a long time. Chase became worried. "Ryder? Are you still there?"

"Yes… Zuma, Skye, and Rubble are, too."

It took Chase a second to do the math. "Rocky! Where is he?"

"He went further in, just before the shaking started," Wisp said.

"Rocky? Come in, Rocky!" Chase's voice grew desperate. "Rocky!"

"Chase, calm down before you make the tunnel collapse even more," Wisp said. "His collar could have been damaged in the collapse. Now, where did this tunnel go before?"

"No place," Ryder answered. "It was a dead end."

"Okay, so he couldn't have gotten out that way. Ryder, stay outside until I say so. We are going to find Rocky and, hopefully, the shaking will have opened up some new exits. If I have estimated properly, the outside wall should be just a few yards away."

"If we could figure out exactly where, Rubble could dig through the wall from the outside," Ryder suggested.

"No way!" Wisp said sharply. "The tunnels are unstable enough as it is. We'll try to find a way out, but if we can't, we'll have to think about that option."

"Okay. I'll have Skye take her helicopter and check the outside of the mountain to see how it looks. Maybe she will see some new openings."

Ryder signed off, and Wisp started studying the stone blocking the pups off from where Rocky had last been seen. Chase and Marshall stood silently behind her.

"We're in luck," Wisp said after a moment. She lifted a paw to point. "See those two boulders that are sort of leaning on each other? Well, they are holding up everything above them, so we should be able to pull out the stones underneath to make a tunnel. It will be tight, though, and there's no guarantee it will go all the way through."

"It's worth the risk," Chase said.

"Yes, if Rocky's hurt, we need to get to him fast," Marshall said.

"I'll pull out the stones, you two get them out of the way." Without another word, Wisp started hauling stones away.

Wisp's prediction of the two boulders holding the weight of the ceiling proved to be true. She was able to quickly dig out the space beneath. When she got half of her body into the hole, she found her pack made it too tight. She barked away the spotlight and removed the pack. Marshall gave her his EMT hat for light, while he and Chase moved stones far out of the way.

Wisp wriggled back into the hole and thrust out a paw. It met stones, then, with a clatter, the stones disappeared.

"I think I am through already!" Wisp yelped excitedly.

She pushed the remaining stones back, then crawled forward until she couldn't feel the stone against her back. She stood up and shook out her fur.

"Push my pack through, then come through yourselves. You'll have to remove your packs, too."

Wisp heard scraping, then something touched her paws. She barked open her spotlight and put on her pack as Marshall's pack slid into view.

Wisp turned around to inspect the new section they were in. Marshall crawled through in that moment, and both pups gasped.

While most of the tunnel was still intact, large pieces of the ceiling had fallen. Boulders twice the size of the pups were scattered across the ground.

Marshall took a breath to call out, but was stopped when Wisp slapped a paw down on his muzzle.

"Don't make me tell you, too. We'll search, but _quietly_."

Marshall blinked in agreement. Wisp removed her paw and let him stand. Chase slipped through a moment later. His eyes widened at the destruction.

"I'll sniff him out," Chase said.

"You'll sneeze on the dust," Wisp argued.

Chase and Marshall sighed at Wisp's insistence to be quiet, but obediently began their search without a sound. After several minutes of scrambling over and under rocks, Chase gave a quiet bark.

"Here he is!"

Wisp and Marshall ran over, the latter tripping over several stones on the way but never quite losing his balance.

Rocky was sprawled under an outcropping of the tunnel wall. He was unconscious, but didn't seem hurt. His helmet had a new large dent.

"A rock must have hit his helmet, and he crawled under here before passing out," Wisp said as Marshall barked out his x-ray and scanned his friend. "That was smart thinking. If he hadn't taken refuge, he could have been crushed."

Marshall finished with his scan. "I don't see any injuries, except for a bump on the head. Let's get him out into the open."

The pups dragged Rocky from under the outcrop. By the time they had him moved and settled, he was groaned and twitching his paws.

"He's waking up," Marshall said. He crouched in front of Rocky. "Rocky, can you hear me?"

Rocky's face clenched up, then one eye crept open. He rasped out, "Hey, Marshall."

Marshall panted happily and helped Rocky sit up. Rocky leaned tiredly against him. Seeing they were alright, Wisp turned away to check how the rest of the tunnel looked. Chase called Ryder to let him know Rocky was fine.

"What happened?" Rocky asked.

"The tunnel collapsed. A piece of the roof must have hit you," Marshall explained.

"That explains the headache." Rocky removed his helmet and rubbed his head.

Wisp trotted back. "How much further did this tunnel originally go?"

"Ten yards, around that?" Chase estimated.

"And no other tunnels branching off?"

"No."

"There is now."

"How far does it go?" Chase asked.

"Not sure, but it's our best shot at a way out right now."

"Let's try it," Rocky said, standing.

"You feel up to it?" Marshall asked, in full medical pup mode.

"Sure. What's a little bump on the head?" Rocky said easily.

"Let me know if you start to feel dizzy," Marshall warned, standing as well.

"Wait here," Wisp said.

She took off her Pup Pack and crawled back into the space she, Chase and Marshall had first been trapped in. The other pups heard her scuffling around in the dark, then a bundle of sticks was shoved through the opening, followed by Wisp.

"Rocky, can you get these with your claw?" Wisp asked.

"Sure. Arf! Claw!" Rocky's Pup Pack opened up, and his mechanical claw picked up the sticks.

"Are those for marking our path?" Chase asked.

"Yep. Who knows how long this new tunnel will be," Wisp said. "Speaking of, Chase and Marshall, you need to turn off your lights. We'll just use mine, in case it takes a long time to get out."

"But each of those lights can go for twelve hours without sunlight," Rocky said.

"And there is no telling how long we will be stuck down here," Wisp said. "Better safe than sorry."

Chase shrugged and barked away the spotlight. Marshall was wide-eyed, but followed Chase's lead. Suddenly the tunnel seemed a whole lot darker with the one light.

"Let's move those paws," Wisp said, sounding ridiculously upbeat. "We aren't going to find our way out just standing here."

The Paw Patrol pups nodded and fell in line behind Wisp as she marched down the tunnel.

* * *

Wisp had been hoping that the new crevasse would go straight to the outer wall, but luck seemed to be lacking for the pups. Good luck, at least.

The crack had opened up into a larger tunnel that apparently had been hidden from the Paw Patrol in the past. The new tunnel zig-zagged in a steady, downward manner. Wisp sensed they were moving deeper into the mountain as well, though she kept that fact from the others.

At one point, Chase stopped and cocked his head. "Do you hear that?"

Wisp tensed. "What? More rumbling?"

"No, it… a rushing sound." Chase took a deep breath. "And I smell water!"

"Water must have formed this tunnel," Wisp said, relaxing. "If there was a crack on the surface, rain water could have run down, carving out this path. Of course, it had to have closed at some point, as there isn't any here and the tunnel was collapsed back where we first came in. The water you hear is probably the source of some stream or waterfall."

"There are some waterfalls on the mountain," Chase said.

"Good. If we're lucky, there will be enough room for us to get out of here the same way the water does," Wisp said.

"Yuck," Rocky sighed.

"I'll call Ryder, and tell him to wait for us at the waterfalls," Chase said, tapping his tag.

Wisp nodded. She could now hear the sound of water flowing. It could have just been the echo, but the sound seemed to only be coming from inside the mountain, not toward the outside.

Chase had just finished his report to Ryder, and begun explaining that Zuma had explored some of the waterfalls before. A couple of them had large enough openings for a pup, but Zuma had never gone much further, since there was a risk of getting stuck or sucked under the water.

"Zuma is getting his gear, and is going to try some of the openings, and see if we can spot each other," Chase said.

Chase's collar beeped. "Skye here. I'm at the waterfalls…"

Chase sensed something off in Skye's voice. "What's wrong?"

"The openings have… have closed up," Skye said slowly. "There's no more water coming out."

"That's fine," Wisp said quickly. "This tunnel still goes someplace, right?"

"But you pups are almost underground!" Skye said.

"We'll be fine," Wisp said forcefully. "Nobody panic, okay?"

The next moment, Wisp yelped and threw herself backward, crashing into Rocky. She scrabbled for balance and thrust out a paw when Marshall, who had been walking beside Rocky, tried to go around to get out of the way.

"Get back!" Wisp ordered.

The Paw Patrol pups froze at Wisp's harsh tone. Wisp turned away and crept forward a few steps.

"Just as I thought," Wisp said. She waved the others forward. "Come here, but be _careful._ "

Chase was the first to go to Wisp's side. Inches from where they stood, the ground had dropped straight off!

"Chase? What's wrong?" Skye asked, worried by the commotion.

"The tunnel. It… vanished," Chase said.

"Vanished?" Skye asked.

"Let's get Ryder to hear this, too," Wisp said.

Chase nodded and called the rest of Paw Patrol. His explanation of the tunnel drop was met with groans.

"Now what?" Zuma asked. "I have my geaw, but it's useless if thewe's no watewfall."

"I can dig you out," Rubble suggested.

"Still too risky," Wisp said.

"What else can you do?" Ryder asked.

"Easy. We'll climb down and keep going," Wisp said.

The pups in the tunnel whipped their heads sharply to look at Wisp.

"Say again?" Marshall said.

Instead of answering, Wisp took a stick from the bundle and tossed it over the edge. It clattered to the ground, sounding too far away for the Paw Patrol pups' liking.

"It isn't too deep, and there's no water down there," Wisp said. "We're in luck!"

"Whoop-ie," Rocky said unenthusiastically.

"We'll be fine. I'll go first, and set up my winch line so you three can rappel down," Wisp said. She barked out her winch. Chase barked out his spotlight and took the winch hook. "I doubt I have to tell you to not let go."

"Rappel?" Marshall squeaked out.

Wisp cocked her head. "What's wrong, Marshall? You look sick again."

Marshall gulped and gave a weak grin. "No. I'm good." He barked on his light and ducked his head.

Marshall and Rocky joined in holding the winch line, much to Chase's relief. Wisp went back to the floor's edge and barked out a command for the winch to slowly let out cable. She then turned around and felt for a paw hold. She found one quickly, and was soon out of sight to the other pups.

For several minutes, the only sound was a slight scuffling and grunting as Wisp made her way down. When she abruptly fell silent, their fear spiked, but then there was a soft call from below.

"I'm here."

The Paw Patrol, including those still listening through Chase's collar, gave yips of joy.

"Hush!" Wisp scolded.

The pups fell silent, casting nervous glances at the ceiling.

"Now, Chase," Wisp said from below, "Find a stable piece of rock you can wrap the cable around. It has to be smooth enough for the cable to not get stuck, but no so much that it will slip off."

Chase hunted around until he found a stone column. He looped the cable around it, then went back to the edge.

"Hook the winch to your vest, then climb down," Wisp said. "I'll let you down slowly. The wall slants out, so you will have to do some climbing, but don't worry. If you slip, the cable will catch you. Also, there is a bit of a squeeze halfway down, but it's wide enough for the Pup Packs."

Chase swallowed nervously and peered over the edge. He could see a glow from under a bend in the tunnel, where Wisp waited. He took a deep breath and bravely started his climb. Rocky watched him descend, and gave a little hop when the German Shepherd reached the bottom.

"Marshall is next," Wisp said. "Rocky, we'll send his hat back up when he gets down here."

Rocky nodded and waited while Wisp retracted the winch line until it was back to Rocky and Marshal. He picked up the hook and turned to Marshall.

"You heard her," Rocky mumbled through the hook.

"Um, ah, that's okay," Marshall said. "You go first."

Rocky cocked his head. "But Wisp said-"

"It's fine." Marshall abruptly switched hats with Rocky. "No biggie."

"You coming?" came an impatient whisper.

Rocky shrugged and put the winch hook under his claw arm. He turned and started to climb down.

* * *

Wisp had braced herself beside a large rock to help support the weight of the other pups. The tunnel curved too much at the thinnest part for her to see the pup climbing, so she had Chase standing at the very bottom to shine his light up and keep an eye on the pups for her.

"Um, Rocky's coming first," Chase said. "Hey, he's doing good!"

"No, no!" Wisp hissed, glaring up.

"Need help?" Chase asked, rushing back and reaching for the winch line.

"No, Marshall was supposed to go first!" Wisp said, swatting away Chase's paw.

"Why?"

"Because I don't know if he can make the climb," Wisp said.

Chase raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean? Marshall's not _that_ clumsy."

"That's not what I meant. Hopefully, I'm wrong anyway."

Rocky soon reached the bottom, quite exhilarated by his climb. Wisp attached Marshall's helmet to the hook and barked it back to where Marshall waited. She was relieved to hear him call down after a moment that he was starting the climb.

" _Maybe I was wrong,"_ Wisp thought.

Marshall reached the squeeze a minute later. His tail poked through, then he stopped climbing down.

"Oh, no," Wisp whispered. She stopped the winch, then, slightly louder, "You okay, Marshal?"

Marshall gave no response, nor did he move.

"Maybe he can't hear me," Wisp said. "Chase, try his collar."

Chase nodded. "Marshall, it's Chase. What happened?"

For a long moment, Marshall didn't respond. Finally, as Chase was about to call again, his quivering voice came through the collar.

"I'm scared."

"What?"

"I can't keep climbing."

"Marshall, its just like your ladder. Just this time, you have a line on you! You can do it," Chase encouraged.

Marshall's only response was a whimper.

"I was afraid of this," Wisp said. "He has claustrophobia! He was fine before, because he was focused on us or Rocky, but on his own, he won't be able to do a thing!"

* * *

 **A/N: Yes, I gave Marshall claustrophobia. Wisp explains in the next chapter why it never would cause a problem before.**


	5. Distractions, Sticks, and Bandanas

Marshal was hugging a rock like his life depended on it. He could hear the pups below and outside urging him to keep going, but his paws refused to listen.

"Come on, Marshall," Ryder tried. "Just one paw at a time."

"You can just let go," Wisp said. "The cable will catch you."

"Um, my paws and this rock are best buds right now," Marshall said, tightening his grip.

"The one time Mawshall isn't being clumsy," Zuma put in.

"Heard that!"

Something poked Marshall's hind paw, then came Wisp's voice. "Move over, would you?" Marshall automatically moved his hindquarters over, then Wisp squirmed up beside him. "Hey. Having fun hanging out?"

"Not really." Marshall blinked, then leaned back slightly. "Where's your Pup Pack?"

"Did you really think I could climb up here while holding you? Chase has got you."

"So… who's got you?"

"Eh, I've got myself." Wisp adjusted herself so she was lowered than Marshall. "I've been doing this sort of thing for a while."

"Really? I thought you just knew from books."

Wisp grinned. Marshall had moved down to remain level with Wisp while she talked without even realizing it.

"Nah, there's only so much you can learn by reading." Without pausing in talking, Wisp stepped further down. "A dog named Flurry taught me. He was a Burmese."

"A Burmese Mountain Dog? I've never met one of them."

"They stick around the more mountainous places."

Marshall didn't even realize he was moving steadily down now. "There's mountains here."

"Pah, this mountain is nothing compared to where I met Flurry. Those mountains, you could trek across for days, and cross only a quarter of the range! Flurry once told me it took him a month to cross one of the smaller ranges."

"He sounds like a cool dog."

"Oh, he was 'cool' in more ways than one. He was like a father to me, and taught me everything I know. Granted, most of what he taught me had to do with mountain climbing, but there are plenty of caves in the mountains. Being loud there is a lot more dangerous, too. Avalanches."

"If you liked him so much, how come you left?"

Wisp's smile faded as she stepped back, now on level ground. "We're at the bottom."

Marshall blinked and looked around. "How did you do that?"

"Distraction. If you aren't thinking about the tight quarters, it's just like climbing your ladder." Wisp reached up and unhooked Marshall.

Rocky and Chase -who had removed Wisp's pack when the pair reached the bottom- rushed up to congratulate Marshall.

"You scared us, Marshall!" Chase said. "Why didn't you ever tell us you were claustrophobic?"

"I didn't know," Marshall admitted.

"A pretty small case, I'd say. The only reason you had any problems this time is because we were all stressed out already," Wisp explained.

"Thanks for helping me," Marshall said.

"No problem," Wisp said, giving the dalmatian a friendly nudge. "Now let's get out of here."

* * *

"You know, for about five minutes, I thought we would find a way out here," Rocky said.

Wisp gave Rocky a suprised look. "And I thought I was the sarcastic one."

"Water has that effect on me," Rocky said, staring gloomily at the lake spread out in front of the pups.

When Skye had told them that the waterfalls had closed up, Wisp had suspected that the water had to be gathering someplace else underground. They had just found the water.

Chase went to the edge of the bowl that the water was gathered in. He laid down and reached out a paw, but the surface was several feet below his reach.

Wisp squinted where she had her spotlight shining across the lake. "There's a ridge around the edge, and I think I see some new tunnels. One of those has to lead out."

The pups walked single-file along the lake's edge until they reached an opening. Wisp shone her light in.

"Not much to see. It turns a few yards in," Wisp said.

"Are we going to try it?" Chase asked. He took a small sniff. "I don't smell fresh air."

"Still worth a shot," Wisp said with a shrug. While she wouldn't say so out loud, Wisp was starting to get tired of the dark confines. "Marshall, make an arrow of sticks just inside the entrance of the tunnel, pointing out."

Marshall made the arrow, and the pups began their hesitant exploration. After a couple of turns, there was a fork in the tunnel.

"Which way?" Wisp asked Chase.

Chase took a sniff from either path, then shrugged. "Both smell the same."

"Right it is then. Marshall, we need an arrow in the tunnel we take, and the one we came from."

A short way down the new tunnel, it was a dead end. The pups groaned. Everyone on the outside, watching through Chase's tag, echoed the groan.

"Let's try the other tunnel," Wisp said, trying to smile. "It'll be fine, you'll see."

* * *

One hour and three tunnels later, Wisp didn't bother trying to stay upbeat. The pups had explored the entrances halfway around the lake, and were just returning from the latest failed attempt.

"Let's rest."

Wisp's suggestion was met with sighs of relief. Marshall and Rocky collapsed to the ground. Wisp sat, then pulled off her bandana to wipe away the dust on her face.

"Chase?" Marshall's voice made her look up.

Chase was standing at the lake's edge, staring down with narrow eyes. He reached down to touch the surface of the water, then quickly backed up.

"It's rising," Chase said.

The pups leaped up. "What?!"

"The water. I couldn't touch it before, but now I can," Chase said. "The cave is filling up!"

Marshall and Rocky whimpered, but Wisp cut in before they could panic.

"It's raising slowly. It took an hour to raise… three feet? We'll be out of here by then."

"In an hour, the water will be level with where we are," Chase said.

"Then we go back the way we came."

"Uh, Wisp?" Rocky pointed across the lake.

Wisp turned so her spotlight shone where Rocky was pointing.

"Oh, no," she whispered.

The tunnel they had first come from sat several feet below where they now stood. It was almost completely underwater. Not only did that mean that path was blocked, but…

"It's rising twice as fast as what you said!" Rocky said. He started pacing in small circles. "This is really, really bad! We can't go back, all these tunnels lead nowhere, we're trapped!"

"Rocky, calm down." Wisp tried to grab Rocky, but he pulled away.

"No! You said we were going to be fine, but we're trapped!"

"Rocky," Wisp said.

Rocky's voice was rising. "And now Ryder has no idea where we are, so Rubble can't dig us out."

"Rocky."

"We should've done that from the start!"

"Rocky!" everyone hissed.

"What?!"

Rocky's exclamation echoed through the cave. As it died down, a low rumbling took its place.

"The ground!" Chase yelped softly. "It's shaking again!"

Rocky clapped a paw to his mouth, expression turning to horror.

"Earthquake!" Rubble yelled.

"Get down and cover your heads!" Wisp ordered, balling herself up.

The other pups ducked down beside her, wrapping their paws around heads and whimpering fearfully.

Luckily, the ground only shook for a few moments before falling still. Wisp lifted her head and looked around.

"Phew, it was just a small aftershock," she said, standing.

Chase jerked his head up. "You mean I didn't cause the first cave-in?"

Wisp frowned. "I never said you did."

"But all that talk about being quiet…"

Wisp chuckled. "If you had caused the first shake, I would have forbidden you from speaking since. No, it was a small earthquake."

Rocky stood up, ears low. "I'm sorry for yelling."

Wisp shook her head. "Oh, Rocky, neither of you caused the earthquakes. You were just scared."

"I'm still sorry," he whined.

Wisp nudged his shoulder. "Forgiven. You should know I can never be mad at you pups."

"Um, pups? Not to rush you, but shouldn't you be moving?" Ryder asked, hesitant to break up the moment.

Wisp started wiping she dust from her fur. "Ryder's right. Let's just find a way out and-" Wisp froze. Her paw patted around her neck, then her head turned quickly down. "It's gone!"

"What is?" Chase asked, concerned. Wisp was talking louder than she had since entering the tunnel. Which, granted, was little more than her normal tone, but noticeable.

"My bandana! I took it off just before the earthquake, and must have dropped it."

"We'll find it," Chase soothed. "It couldn't be far away."

"If it's really gone…" Wisp left the sentence unfinished and started frantically scanning the area with her spotlight.

Chase barked out his spotlight and went to the lake's edge. After a minute checking the surface, he spotted something.

"There it is!"

"Hush," Wisp said automatically. She paused, then turned. "What?"

"Your bandana." Chase barked away his light, then jumped into the lake.

"Wait!" Wisp rushed over, but Chase was already ten feet from the edge.

"Don't worry about him," Marshall said, trotting over with Rocky. "He's almost as good a swimmer as Zuma."

"It's an unfamiliar, underground lake," Wisp said, torn between scolding and thanking Chase as he reached her bandana. "There could be currents, rocks, or even large fish out there."

"Seems fine to me," said Rocky. The gray mix was keeping a large distance from the water's edge.

Wisp sighed. "Luckily."

Chase, holding Wisp's bandana in his mouth, was nearly back to the edge when something his expression became concentrated and his swimming path started to drift sideways.

"Chase, what are you-" Wisp turned her light in the direction Chase was being pulled, and gasped. There was a tunnel almost completely hidden by water below the ledge. "A current! Swim, Chase, swim!"

"I'm trying!" Chase yelped through the bandana.

Wisp ran to stand over the tunnel mouth and leaned down so that her spotlight was dangling over the water. "Grab on before you get sucked in!"

Chase was moving rather fast by then, but he managed to reach up as he passed and wrapped his paws tightly around the spotlight. Wisp yelped, thrown off balance by Chase's weight. She fell awkwardly on her side, barely able to brace her paws before she was jerked off the ledge. Marshall and Rocky grabbed Wisp before she could be pulled away.

"Don't let go!" Wisp told Chase.

Chase nodded and tightened his grip. Ryde and the outside pups, unable to clearly see what was happening through Chase's collar, yelled to know what was happening.

Wisp, Marshall, and Rocky struggled to pull in Chase, but the current and Chase's weight was making it difficult. To make the matters worse, Chase had splashed water up on the ledge, and Wisp found her paws slipping.

"I- I'm slipping!" Wisp yelp, paws scrambling as she slid closer to the water.

"We got you," Marshall said.

Chase lifted his head to focus on his friends. Despite their efforts, Chase could see them getting closer to the edge. With nothing to brace himself against and sodden fur weighing him down, Chase was only dead weight.

He had to do something before they all fell in.

Slowly, delibrately, Chase lifted his body.

Wisp grunted and looked at Chase, assuming he was going to pull himself in. But the current was still too strong, and her position too perilous to stand and give him the height to get his body out of the water.

Chase, half his body still submerged, delicately draped Wisp's bandana over the spotlight. Wisp's eyes widened at the determined look in Chase's eyes.

"Chase… out."

And Chase let go.


	6. Needed

"Chase? Chase, what happened?" Ryder shook his Pup Pad, then pressed Marshall's icon.

Ryder saw flailing paws and stone fill the screen. Rocky's face flashed by, giving Ryder just enough time to see the wide-eyed panic in his face.

"Chase!" Wisp yowled, making Ryder wince and hold the Pad away from his face.

"Pups, what happened?" Ryder asked, doing his best to keep calm. Rubble and Skye were standing beside him, and both looked terrified enough as it was.

"Chase, h-he let go!" Marshall whined. "He saw that we were going to be pulled in, and he let go!"

The screen finally steadied as Marshall regained his paws, giving Ryder a clear view of the cave once again.

Rocky stood on the rocky ledge, mindless of the water puddled at his paws. Wisp sat rigid beside him, spotlight hanging crooked from holding Chase and sodden bandana clenched in a paw.

"Where is Chase now?" Ryder asked. "Can you see or hear him?"

Wisp swiftly stood, turned, and began talking before Marshall could answer. "I am fairly certain the tunnel wasn't there before. The aftershock must have unblocked it. There is a chance this tunnel will lead back outside."

Ryder understood immediately. "Pups, we need to find where the water lets out."

Skye yipped and spun in a circle, full of nervous energy. "Ryder, where's Zuma?"

"Isn't he…" Ryder looked around, just noticing the labrador's absence. "When did you last see him?"

Rubble's eyes got huge. "Not since the aftershock!"

"Oh, no, two pups missing!" Ryder broke into a run toward the trees. "Split up, we have to find them!"

* * *

Zuma had had the same idea about the water as Wisp. With the others preoccupied with watching the trapped pups, Zuma had wandered off to see if he could find any new streams.

After a few minutes of sniffing around, his ears caught the sound of rushing water. He trotted toward the sound, and discovered a sinkhole with water flowing inside. He barked out his light and stuck his head inside to investigate.

The underwater stream was wide and wasn't flowing too fast. Water sloshed up against the stone walls in lazy waves, causing a slapping sound that echoed through the tunnel.

Zuma narrowed his eyes. Was it his imagination, or the splashing getting louder. Just then, his tag blinked as Ryder called him.

"Zuma, where are you? Please tell me you're okay."

"Hey, Wyder, I just went to…" Zuma trailed off and squinted harder. Something was moving in the water upstream! The thing splashed and flailed into the light of Zuma's spotlight. "Chase!"

Chase, exhausted from staying afloat, weakly lifted his head toward Zuma's voice. His glazed eyes focused on Zuma, lighting up with hope. His paws came to life, kicking him strongly to the surface as he quickly approached the sinkhole.

Zuma sprawled onto his belly and stretched out to Chase. The water was so low from the surface, Zuma knew they would be cutting it close. "Gwab on!"

Chase reached up as he drifted closer… closer. Their pawtips brushed, and Zuma's heart nearly stopped when he realized Chase was too low! Then Chase grunted and kicked out with his hind paws, giving him the needed height. Zuma snatched his friend's paws and dug in his hind paws to steady himself.

It wasn't until Zuma had himself properly braced, that he realized Ryder was still calling his name.

"It's okay, Wyder," Zuma cut in. "I found Chase. He got swept out of some underwatew wivew, I guess." Zuma blinked. "Wait. Whewe awe the othews?"

Ryder gave a gusty sigh of relief. "They are safe. I'll explain later. I'm following your GPS. Be there soon!"

Zuma gasped as his paw started to slip. "Huwwy!"

"Just hold on!" Ryder said. The other pups, listening in through tags, yelped encouragement and relief.

Zuma focused back to Chase dangling from his grasp. His bottom half was submerged in the water, but luckily the current was too weak to cause any trouble. Zuma wasn't strong enough to pull Chase up alone, and Chase wasn't helping in any way.

Chase hadn't made any movements since Zuma grabbed him, except for the shivers that wracked his whole body. His head hung limp, and he was concerningly quiet.

"Chase?" Zuma tried, giving the pup a small shake.

Chase's ears twitched, the only indication he had heard Zuma. His body gave a violent twitch, and his teeth started to chatter.

"Mawshall!" Zuma yelped. "Something's wong with Chase. He won't stop shaking, and he isn't wesponding."

"The water's freezing," Marshall said worriedly.

Zuma grunted and pulled back. "I can't… get him out alone!"

Ryder suddenly appeared at Zuma's side. He reached down to grab the back of Chase's vest and hauled the pup to solid ground.

Chase continued to shiver. He drew his paws tight to his body, teeth chattering together.

"We need to get him wawm!" Zuma said, crouching at his side.

Ryder picked up Chase and tightly hugged the quivering pup. He sat down and Zuma climbed onto his lap to add his warmth. Skye, and then Rubble a minute later, raced up to Ryder and Chase and huddled around their friend. Chase was barely visible through the pile of paws and arms.

Finally, Chase's shivers slowed down and his tense body relaxed. The pups stayed put, though, afraid to let him go in case he started again. After a few more minutes, Chase's eyes crept open.

"Wh-what happened?" Chase asked.

"Oh, Chase, you're okay!" Ryder exclaimed. He tightened his grip on Chase, accidentally causing the other pups to fall away.

All the pups howled in relief. Chase gazed at them blearily, then he jolted up.

"Where's the others?"

"Inside, and still safe," Ryder assured him.

Chase relaxed slightly. "The cave is filling with water. We have to get them out."

"We'll take the same route as Chase," Wisp said.

Ryder turned to his Pup Pad that he had dropped on the ground beside him. Wisp looked determined, while Rocky was shaking his head hard.

"No, way!" Rocky exclaimed, then was hushed by Wisp. He moodily went on, "Let's check the rest of the tunnels first."

"We know this tunnel will take us out," Wisp said. "If Zuma can get some of his gear to us, we would be able to take this way without almost drowning."

"The water is still rising," Marshall pointed out.

Rocky huffed, but made no more argument. It was quickly decided that since the current was too strong for Zuma to swim his gear completely to the others, Wisp would run her winch line as far as it would go into the tunnel. Zuma would swim to the hook where, hopefully, the current was still slow enough for him to attach the gear. Wisp would wind it back, and the trapped pups would use the gear to swim out.

"Someone get my ambulance, too," Marshall said. "We'll need blankets."

Ryder, still holding Chase, nodded and sent Skye to take Zuma to his vehicle and bring back Marshall's.

"Hang in there, pups," Ryder said as Skye and Zuma flew off.

* * *

"The water's up to the ledge," Rocky said, nervously backing away from the water lapping at the stone's edge.

"Zuma's back," Ryder told him. "Wisp, let out your winch."

Wisp barked. "Winch!" She tossed the hook into the water and watched the cable unwind. When it reached it's end, all she sat back to wait.

"How long will it take?" Rocky asked.

Wisp turned to Rocky. The gray mix had resumed pacing as far from the water as he could get. Marshall was watching him with a concerned frown.

"Not long," Wisp said calmly.

"Can't get here soon enough," Rocky muttered.

When Rocky was out of earshot in his pacing, Marshall leaned closer to Wisp to whisper, "When we get the gear, how are we going to get Rocky in the water? He doesn't want to be here when the water gets too high, but I doubt he will want to go swimming even with gear."

Wisp grinned. "I have a plan, don't worry."

Marshall sat back with a snort. "Not when you're grinning like that."

Wisp was about to answer when she felt tugging on her winch line and stood. "I just felt something. It must be Zuma. It took him awhile to reach the hook, though. How long is this tunnel?"

Marshall cleared his throat and pointed with his eyes back to Rocky, who had stopped to listen. Wisp smiled reassuringly.

"We've got the gear. Arf! Winch, retract."

Wisp braced her legs, hoping that the gear wouldn't catch on anything and pull her in. Luckily, the gear moved smoothly and the pups soon had three scuba tanks with masks and wetsuits. Wisp handed them out, and everyone geared up. They had to remove their Pup Packs, but decided it would be easy to hold them anyway.

"Marshall, you go first. Then Rocky, then me," Wisp said.

Marshall nodded and jumped into the lake, quickly being swept away. Rocky started for the lake's edge, but froze inches from the water.

"Y-you know what?" Rocky asked, turning. "Why don't you go first? I'll follow."

Wisp chuckled and shook her head. "No way, Rocky. You're trying to pull what Marshall did when we had to rappel. If I leave you here, you'll freeze."

Rocky sighed and dropped his head. "Yeah… I don't suppose you could distract me like you did him?"

"Nope. I got a better idea."

Rocky lifted his head just as Wisp tackled him, sending them both splashing into the water.

* * *

Marshall had been expecting the water to be cold, but it was _freezing!_ Even with his vest and the wetsuit, he soon felt like a pup-sicle. He paddled with the current with his hind paws, wanting to get out of the water as soon as he could.

After a minute, the current slowed as the river widened. Marshall spotted something brightly colored ahead. He popped above the water for a better look and realized the Paw Patrol had put Chase's net across the tunnel just below the sinkhole.

Marshall put more power into his paddling. A little too much, actually, as he slammed into the net hard enough to get his muzzle stuck in the gaps.

"Uh… help," Marshall called sheepishly.

"I got you," came Ryder's voice, then hands grabbed him and pulled him free.

Ryder pulled off the scuba gear and wrapped the shivering pup in a blanket. He placed Marshall beside Chase, who was huddled in a blanket nearby.

"Where's Rocky and Wisp?" Skye asked when the other two didn't immediately appear.

"They were coming, right?" Ryder asked Marshall.

"Wisp said she had a plan," Marshall said with a shrug.

Chase sat up. "I think I hear them!"

Ryder and the pups leaned over the hole and noticed a splashing and yelping coming closer. Zuma chuckled and jumped into the water.

Wisp and Rocky came into view, the latter splashing like a drowning pup despite his mask. Wisp swam a short distance behind him, seeming exasperated, but too wary to get close to Rocky's flailing paws.

Ryder reached down and used Rocky's scuba tank to lift the pup from the water. Rocky continued waving his paws and yelping for a few seconds, then realized that he was out of the water.

"Oh, thanks, Ryder," Rocky said.

"No problem, Rocky," Ryder said with a grin.

Ryder settled Rocky with the other soggy pups, then turned to help Wisp, only to find she and Zuma had already climbed up the net. Zuma all but threw away his gear, then dived into the pile of pups and blankets. Wisp plopped down where she stood, shivering hard.

"Wisp, you okay?" Ryder asked, quickly kneeling at her side with a blanket. Wisp was so much thinner framed than the other pups, Ryder worried the cold would be worse for her.

"F-fine, R-Ryder," Wisp said, teeth chattering. "Rocky h-had a h-hard time going, a-and we w-went back m-more than f-forward."

Rocky jerked up. His ears flattened in shame at causing Wisp to suffer the cold for so long. He stood and dragged his blanket over to lay beside Wisp. The other pups, even the dry ones, followed and joined the pile, burying Wisp under blankets and fur.

"Heh, you all are squashing me," Wisp said, noticeably shivering less.

"Wisp, you saved us all," Rocky said admiringly.

"No big deal," said Wisp, shrugging.

"It was a very big deal," Chase said seriously. "You just can't leave us now!"

"Chase," Ryder said. "Now isn't-"

"Now is the perfect time!" Chase stood up and sat in front of Wisp. "You saved half of Paw Patrol today, and me twice. We all know that if it hadn't been for you, Marshall would have finished the climb, and Rocky would have rather ran through endless tunnels than to swim out."

"Yeah," Marshall agreed, sitting up.

Rocky nodded. "Don't be shoving me into any more lakes anytime soon, but… thanks for it this time."

"Aw, I get it, what would you do without me," Wisp kidded.

Chase narrowed his eyes. "Yes. What would we do without you?"

Everyone stared at Chase. He was looking more intense than most had seen him.

Ryder knelt beside Chase. "Chase, what are you getting at?"

Chase turned and held his head high. "Ryder, sir, wouldn't you agree that is was about time Paw Patrol had a spelunking pup?"

Wisp's mouth dropped open. The other pups leaped to their paws, yelping excitedly.

"Yes, yes!" Skye yipped.

"We could use a spelunking pup," Marshall said.

"Wisp deserves it!" Rubble said.

"Wisp would be a great Paw Patrol pup!" Rocky exclaimed.

Zuma stood on his hind paws in excitement. "Please, Wyder?"

Ryder laughed and held up his hands. "I think the vote is unanimous. But the one who will really decide is Wisp."

All the pups turned expectantly to Wisp, who still seemed to shocked to respond. Slowly, her expression smoothed and she stood.

"Ryder, do you really want me to join Paw Patrol?" Wisp asked. "This isn't just another trick?"

"No, of course not!" Ryder said. He gave small smile. "Truth is… I have been thinking that very thing for the last few weeks."

"Really?

"Why do you think I gave you your own Pack? I wanted to see how you would use it to help others. I've seen how much you like spelunking, Wisp. And Marshall's right. We need a spelunking pup. You've proved today and when you saved Chase that you are the pup for the job." Ryder stood and said solemnly. "So, Wisp, what do you say? Want to be a Paw Patrol pup?"

Wisp stared up at Ryder. She blinked rapidly, and Ryder was startled to see tears in her eyes. He was about to ask her what was wrong when she spoke.

"Yes, Ryder, I do. I really, really do!"

* * *

 **A/N: This is the last chapter, people! Took a bit longer due to Thanksgiving, but hope you enjoyed it. Keep an eye out for the epilogue and Wisp bio.**

 **Since I do not always respond, I see and appreciate all the reviews you have given!**


	7. Epilogue

**A/N: Dinky little epilogue here. Wisp's bio in the next chapter.**

* * *

"I really don't want to do this."

Zuma turned away from watching Ryder speak on the town hall steps. Wisp, awaiting her cue to go up to Ryder and say the pledge, was shifting from paw to paw. She was wearing her newly painted Pup Pack and matching orange-brown vest. Every time she twisted, the light shining from the reflectors on the Pack almost blinded Zuma.

"You'll be fine," Zuma said. "Do you wemembew the pledge?"

"Yes, yes." Wisp was fiddling with her bandana on the ground. "I… I just can't do this without my lucky bandana. But how can I wear my bandana, when Ryder has to put my collar on?"

Zuma gave Wisp a small smile and took the bandana. "Give me youw paw."

Confused, Wisp lifted her right paw. Zuma deftly tied the bandana snuggly around her leg. Wisp smiled as she admired Zuma's work.

"Thanks, Zuma."

Zuma nodded. He sat up to straighten Wisp's hat, an orange-brown helmet with a headlight in front and even more reflectors on the sides.

Wisp, feeling much calmer now, turned to Ryder and Chase at the top of the steps. The latter was speaking now, telling how Wisp had saved the lives of him and half of Paw Patrol. When he finished, he waved Wisp up.

Wisp took a deep breath and climbed to the top of the stairs. In a loud, proud voice, Wisp proclaimed the Paw Patrol pledge.

" _In the dark of night, in the light of day,_

 _We, the Paw Patrol will serve Adventure Bay._

 _From runaway trains to stranded whales,_

 _We'll rush to the rescue with wagging tails._

 _If danger is near, just give a yelp!_

 _The Paw Patrol is here to help!"_

When Wisp had finished the pledge, Ryder knelt in front of her and clipped on her new Paw Patrol collar. It was the same muted orange-brown as her outfit, with a helmet and headlamp as the symbol.

The townspeople cheered and Paw Patrol howled to celebrate their newest pup. Wisp beamed at the attention.

"Now, to the Lookout to see your Paw Patrol vehicle," Ryder said, turning to lead the way.

Mayor Goodway, standing at Ryder's side, clapped her hands. "Oh, isn't this exciting, Chickoletta! ...Chickoletta?" She looked down at the purse her chicken normally occupied, but it was empty. "Oh, Chickoletta! I need the Paw Patrol!"

Ryder grinned as he pulled out his his Pup Pad and pressed the large icon. "Paw Patrol… to the Lookout!"

"Ryder needs us!" Wisp called with the others, breaking into a run for the Lookout.

Wisp panted happily as she ran. She looked at the others dashing alongside her, eager to start the latest mission, and knew in that moment that she truly was where she belonged.

* * *

 **A/N: There will not be any new Paw Patrol stories until at least January. But the Saga will continue!**


End file.
